Tine-spreader.



No. 656,490. Patented Aug. 2 I, |900.

C. E. THURLOW. TINE SPREADER.

(Application led Jan. 2, 1900.) (Ilo Model.)

.L EEEEE- n UY: @Mmlw km In'.

longitudinally by a partition-wall h.

forward and rear walls 'of the recesses g g and' UNITED STATES PATENT i EEICE CLARENCE E. TnUELow, CE ERCCKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

TINE-SPREADER.

SPECIFICA '.rIoN forming part of Lettere :Patent No. 656,490, dated August ai, 1905.

Application led January 2, 1900. Serial No; 40. (No modali) To all whom t 11i/ty concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE E; THUELow, of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tine-Spreaders,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of my new tinespreader closed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of my new tine-spreader open. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig. l.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of rnyinvention andthe best mode now known to me of applying that principle, a is a lever fulcrumed at o. The base C is secured to any suitable support by means of the screw-Clamp il. Integral with the lever ct are the two wedge-shaped lugs e e, which form the walls of a recess f. In the upper portion of the base c' are formed two recesses gg, separated The the shoulders Z- Z of the partition-wall it serve as Supports for the fork during the spreading operation. The upper portion 'nt of the partition-wall 7L projects above the rear and front walls of the recesses g g, and this projecting portion enters between the middle tines of the fork j, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. When the lever is brought down, the wedgeshaped lugs e e enter between the outer tinesl and spread them apart to the desired extent. The ends of the tines engage in the corrugations c k in the upper Surface of the base o and are supported thereby, and when the lever is brought down the tines are straightened longitudinally, if bent. The under surface Y of the rear portion of the lever et is curved and corrugated, as shown, and this permits the tine-spreader to be used as a nut-cracker. It is evident that variations may be made from the above-described preferred form without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, the lever may be provided with as many lugs as there are spaces between the tines. In this case the projecting portion m would be dispensed with and the middle lug would spread and hold apart the middle tines against the wedging action of the outerlugs.

Vhat I claim isl. A tine-spreader made up of a lever provided with lugs adapted to enter between and wedge apart the tines of a fork or like instrument; and a base member for supporting the fork; said base member being provided with a projecting portion for holding the tines apart during the Wedging action o'f the lugs.

2. A tine-spreader made up of a lever provided with lugs adapted to enter between and wedge apart the tines of a fork or like instrument; and a base member for supporting the fork; said base member being provided with corrugations forengaging and su pporting the ends of the tines during the longitudinal straightening of said tines; and with a projecting portion for holding 'the tines apart during the wedging action of the lugs.

3; A tine-spreader made up of a lever provided with lugs adapted to enter between and wedge apart the tines of a fork or like instrument; a base member for supporting the fork; Said base member being provided with a projecting portion for holding the tines apart during the wedging action of the spreaders; and means for securing the tine-spreader toa suitable support.

e. The herein described combined tinespreader and nut-cracker made up of a lever provided with lugs adapted to enter between and wedge apart the tines of a fork or like instrument; and a base member for supporting thef fork; said base member being provided rwith corrugations for engaging and supporting the ends of the tines during the longitudinal Straightening of said tines; and with a projecting portion for holding the tines apart during the wedging action of the lugs; the said lever being curved toiform a nut-cracker as shown and described.

5. The herein-described 'combined tinespreader and nut-cracker made up of a lever provided with lugs adapted to enter between and wedge apart the tines of a fork or like instrument; a base member for supporting the fork; Said base member being provided with corrugations for engaging and supporting the ends of the tines during the longitudinal straightening of said tines; and with a proj eeting portion for holding the tines apart during the wedging action of the lugs; the said lever being curved to form a nut-cracker IOO as shown and described; and means for srecur- In testimony whereof have hereunto set ing the tine-spreader to a. suitable support. my hand this 28th day of December, 1899.

6. A tine-spreader made up of a supporting base member and a movable member secured CLARENCE E' THURLOW 5 thereto provided with lugs which engage be- Vitnesses:

tween the times of a fork or like instrument H. M. KELSO,

and spread apart the Jfines. JAMES HAMILTON. 

